Around 234 disabled workers are at risk of redundancy after the government announced nine further Remploy factories will be closed.

The minister for disabled people, Esther McVey, said jobs for about 70% of the 515 disabled employees in the remaining Remploy factories and CCTV sites could be saved after they attracted bids to take over the businesses.

Employees affected by possible redundancy will be supported by an £8m package of support to help them move into mainstream work, the minister told MPs.

Unions said the announcement was bad news dressed up as good, while the former prime minister Gordon Brown said it was a "shameful abandonment" of disabled people.

McVey said the government had announced last year it would implement the recommendations of the Sayce review to withdraw funding from Remploy factories and redirect it to enable more disabled people to find jobs and that £50m was going into funding "failing" factories.

Remploy had been trying to transfer the remaining seven businesses, in 18 factories, and the 27 CCTV contracts, affecting more than 1,000 employees.

Most of the CCTV contracts have been taken back in-house, moved to alternative providers, or are now subject to a commercial process, with two likely to be terminated.

The furniture businesses based in Port Talbot, Sheffield and Blackburn remain in the commercial process, and Remploy has received a number of "good quality, innovative bids" for its automotive business.

Offers have been received for the e-cycle business based in Porth and Heywood, said the minister, adding: "Our priority throughout this process has been to safeguard jobs, which is why we offered a wage subsidy of up to £6,400 per disabled employee to encourage interested parties to come forward.

"Despite having had considerable interest in the marine and frontline textile businesses at Leven, Cowdenbeath, Stirling, Dundee and Clydebank, Remploy did not receive a best and final offer for these businesses as part of the commercial process.

"Additionally there are no viable bids for the packaging business, based at Norwich, Portsmouth, Burnley and Sunderland. These sites will now move to closure and all 284 employees, including 234 disabled employees, will, in line with Remploy's redundancy procedures, be invited to at least two individual consultation meetings over the next 30 days to discuss the options and the support that will be available to them.

"For all disabled ex-employees, we have put in place a package to provide a comprehensive range of support for all disabled individuals made redundant as a result of Remploy factory closures.

"This tailored support is available for individuals to access for up to 18 months after their factory closes and includes access to a personal case worker and a personal budget, to help individuals with their future choices."

Scotland's enterprise minister, Fergus Ewing, said: "The news that the five remaining Remploy factories in Scotland will close is another blow for the workers who have been living under the threat of redundancy for well over a year now."

Brown said: "This is a shameful abandonment of disabled people who work at Remploy. The factories at Leven and Cowdenbeath have a full order book and could easily expand their workload given the demand for their product.

"I understand there was at least one bid to take over the facilities and I want to know what happened to that bid. The work, producing 30,000 hi-tech life jackets a year, will continue but will now be moved elsewhere, possibly even outside the UK.

"The government's narrow interpretation of what is viable has been rejected, not only by the workforce but by the Scottish select committee. Once again, men and women who have given their lives to building up a business and have proved they have a continuing long-term market for their products have been deserted in their hour of need. They have been abandoned by the government."

Jerry Nelson, national officer of the GMB union, said: "This is bad news dressed up as good news. This is devastating news but not untypical from this uncaring government who cannot be relied on to protect the vulnerable.

"There is an alternative. These workers could be put back to work making uniforms for our troops, police and nurses and furniture for our schools like they did before the work was outsourced to China.

"Sheltered workshops are allowed under EU procurement rules and can successfully keep disabled workers gainfully employed if supported by public contracts."